Two New Ray Bradbury Stories Out This Fall

The celebrated science fiction writer, who passed away in June, wrote two stories toward the end of his life that are set for release this fall.

The first, “The Book and the Butterfly,” serves as the introduction to this year’s “Best American Nonrequired Reading” anthology; the second, “Dear Santa,” appears in the holiday issue of Birmingham, Michigan’s Strand Magazine.

“The Book and the Butterfly” is a three-page tribute to books and reading. Dave Eggers, the National Book Award finalist who edits the “Nonrequired Reading” compilation, said that he and the team of students who compiled the book were “flabbergasted” when Bradbury agreed to write the introduction. “His intro was wonderful of course — so full of undiminished joy,” Eggers said. “He passed on a few weeks after sending it to us.”

“Dear Santa” tells the story of child and a man he thinks is Santa Claus. Strand Magazine’s managing editor, Andrew Gulli, struck an informal agreement with Bradbury to publish the story, and didn’t receive confirmation from the author until the day of his death.

“I was picking up my mail and opened up an envelope to find Ray’s signature on the contract,” Gulli said.

Ray Bradbury is the author of such seminal works as The Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451. Over eight million copies of his books have been sold worldwide. He passed away on June 5 in Los Angeles. (From Entertainment Weekly)